Balkans | Anwar Lemis will bury the four bones of his father, who was killed in the Srebrenica genocide, tomorrow

Enver Lemis, who lost his father Zhedija Lemis in the genocide that took place in Srebrenica, eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1995, is preparing to bury 4 bones of his father, which were found tomorrow in 3 mass graves.

Lamis, who lives in the capital, Sarajevo, lost his loved ones on the forest path he took with his father and brother to reach the safe zone in the summer of 1995.

Speaking with an AA reporter, Lemis mentioned that he was a high school student during the 1992-1995 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and said, “The war was the hardest period of my life. We lived on donations. Sometimes only flour helped, sometimes salt.” There was nothing else.” He said.

Lemis explained that they were surprised by the fall of Srebrenica, which the United Nations declared a “safe area”, “We all thought that nothing would happen to Srebrenica, but we saw Serb forces enter the city. We had to leave the city to save our lives, but everything happened very quickly and without coordination.” He said.

“I didn’t have the strength to say goodbye to my mom.”

Lamis recalled that they walked along the forest path with his father Zahdijah and his brother Maurice and said, “My mother stayed in Potocari. We decided to take the forest path to reach the safe zone. I did not have the strength to say goodbye to my mother. Somewhere on the road there were 10,000 male civilians.” “. He said.

Pointing out that the road is very difficult, mined, dangerous and full of Serb soldiers, Lemis said: “We tried to carry the wounded and take the dead off the road. We had no medical equipment. We drank water in streams, but poison was also thrown into the water. Those who drank poison were suffering.” of hallucinations, moving uncontrollably and trampling on the mines. It’s an environment of complete chaos.” Use phrases.

Lamees said they move mostly at night. He said:

“One night there was a person with a lantern among us, but it was very strange. None of us had a lantern. These people went to a beech tree and suddenly the tree fell. It was probably prefabricated. The tree fell on people and Serbian soldiers started coming around us and opened fire on us.” This took half an hour. I was sure most of us died.”

Only 4 of my father’s bones were found.

He did not see his father and brother after the night of the tree fall, Lamis said, “Actually, he survived the attack. We decided to form a larger group and move to the safe area. I left them next to a tree until I could find more people. They were gone when I came back.” He said.

Serbs offering themselves as “guides” sneak among Bosnian civilians walking through the forest path, Lemis asserted, “I think my father and my brother came across one of these guides. In a later photo, my father is seen being captured. They may have been killed later as well.” He said.

Referring to his brother’s identification in 2008, Lamees said, “The remains of my father’s bones were found in 3 mass graves. We buried my brother before. This year, we decided to bury my father. Only 4 bones of my father were found. We also want to bury These four bones so that my father may become a tombstone. Let it be known that he was once alive. Let us know that we have a father.” Use phrases.

Lamis, about his father, who remembers him with tears, said: “He worked hard. We didn’t spend much time with him. He wanted to leave us a good life.” He said.

30 victims of the genocide will be buried at this year’s festivities

And at the memorial and funeral ceremonies that will take place on July 11 this year, another 30 victims of the genocide will be buried.

After the occupation of Srebrenica by Serb forces led by Ratko Mladić on 11 July 1995, Bosniak civilians who had taken refuge with Dutch soldiers inside the UN were handed over to the Serbs.

Allowing women and children access to the area controlled by Bosniak soldiers, the Serbs massacred no fewer than 8,372 Bosniak men in forest areas, factories, and warehouses. The Bosnian dead were buried in mass graves.

After the war, the victims whose bodies were found were buried in mass graves in an effort to find the missing in a ceremony held at the Potocari Memorial Cemetery on 11 July each year after their identification.

While there are 6,721 graves of genocide victims at Potocari Memorial Cemetery, that number will rise to 6,751 on July 11.

AA